For years, the land beside the River Trent in Rugeley had a very different purpose. It formed part of the former Rugeley Power Station site and included a golf course used by the station’s staff. According to Staffordshire Wildlife Trust, the course closed in 2017, and the 64-acre site is now being transformed into a wetland landscape featuring ponds, wet grassland and meadows. The project, known as Rugeley Riverside Park, forms part of the wider redevelopment of the former coal-fired power station site. The Trust officially took ownership of the Riverside Park land from ENGIE in September 2025, with ENGIE, the Environment Agency and Severn Trent Water supporting the habitat restoration work.
From golf course to floodplain habitat
Rather than simply converting the old course into conventional parkland, the project is designed around the natural character of the River Trent and its floodplain.Work includes lowering parts of the floodplain and creating ponds and channels, helping establish a variety of wetland habitats. A separate regeneration case study for the former power station site says the work is intended to improve biodiversity while creating a green corridor and opening up a previously inaccessible stretch of the River Trent.The resulting landscape is expected to support species associated with wetlands and river environments, including dragonflies, little egrets and other wading birds. Staffordshire Wildlife Trust has also identified the site as a potential habitat for otters.The project is particularly significant because the River Trent is at the centre of wider efforts to restore river ecosystems across England. In September 2025, The Wildlife Trusts launched the Rivers 2040 project, an 18-month initiative examining the environmental, social and economic benefits of restoring nature along the Trent, which runs for more than 220 miles from source to sea. Rugeley Riverside Park is among the restoration projects being highlighted as part of that wider picture.
A new public space alongside the wildlife habitat
The site is not being created solely as a conservation area. Plans also include a 1.5-kilometre circular route, with viewing areas and information points designed to give visitors a closer look at the restored landscape. The route will eventually allow people to walk through an area that was previously associated with the power station and its staff facilities, while learning about the wildlife and the importance of floodplain habitats.The park is also being developed alongside a much larger regeneration of the former Rugeley Power Station site. ENGIE completed remediation work before selling the wider 139-hectare site to Vistry Group, which has planning permission for a new neighbourhood of about 2,300 homes, as well as a school, employment space and green areas. The Riverside Park forms part of that broader transformation. If the current timetable remains on track, Rugeley Riverside Park is expected to open to visitors in September 2026.The project also marks a significant change in the identity of the site. For decades, the landscape was closely associated with coal-fired power generation and the people who worked there. Its transformation into a publicly accessible riverside environment reflects the wider shift taking place across the former power station site, from an industrial landscape towards a new mix of homes, green space, wildlife habitat and community facilities.What was once a recreational space built around an industrial workplace is therefore being reshaped into something quite different: a riverside landscape designed to hold water, support wildlife and give the local community access to nature.
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